Twitter Chairman Joins Disney Board of Directors

Jack Dorsey, chairman of Twitter Inc., has been elected to the board of the Walt Disney Co. as an independent director, effective immediately, the company said Monday.

"Jack Dorsey is a talented entrepreneur who has helped create groundbreaking new businesses in the social media and commerce spaces,” Bob Iger, Disney’s chairman and CEO said in a statement. “The perspective he brings to Disney and its Board is extremely valuable, given our strategic priorities, which include utilizing the latest technologies and platforms to reach more people and to enhance the relationship we have with our customers.”

“I am honored and humbled to join the Disney board,” Dorsey said. “Disney is a timeless company, one we all grow up learning from and admiring.”

Dorsey is also CEO of Square, a commerce company he co-founded in 2009 that is headquartered in San Francisco.

Disney also said that at its annual meeting in March, director Judith Estrin will not be running for reelection because of company guidelines that directors serve no more than 15 years.

Estrin co-founded several tech companies and serves as chief technology officer of Cisco Systems.

Jon Lafayette

Jon has been business editor of Broadcasting+Cable since 2010. He focuses on revenue-generating activities, including advertising and distribution, as well as executive intrigue and merger and acquisition activity. Just about any story is fair game, if a dollar sign can make its way into the article. Before B+C, Jon covered the industry for TVWeek, Cable World, Electronic Media, Advertising Age and The New York Post. A native New Yorker, Jon is hiding in plain sight in the suburbs of Chicago.